California International Antiquarian Book Fair Returns

After its cancellation last year following the Los Angeles fires, the California International Antiquarian Book Fair returns next month.

The Antiquarian Booksellers’ Association of America has announced that the 2026 fair, now in its 57th year, will take place over three days, February 27-March 1 over two floors at Pier 27 on The Embarcadero. The fair will run 4pm-8pm on February 27, 11am-7pm on February 28, and 11am-4pm on March 1. 

Marking the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, the 2026 fair will explore the theme of Revolutionary Moments in America, examining the American Revolution of 1776 as well as the numerous scientific, artistic, industrial, political and cultural revolutions that have shaped the nation.  More than 100 national and international booksellers will be attending. 

The speaker schedule, all events running on February 28, is:

• 12 noon: Collecting Queer & Trans: An Inside Look at the World of LGBTQ+ Rare Books, Archives & Ephemera with book dealer Gerard Koskovich, collector Joey Cain, and founder and Director of the Louise Lawrence Transgender Archives Ms. Bob Davis
• 1.30pm: The Creative Vision of Alice Millard (1873-1938), Innovative Antiquarian Bookseller with Michèle Cloonan, Dean and Professor Emeritus, Simmons University, exploring the life of the antiquarian bookseller who championed the work of William Morris and T.J. Cobden-Sanderson, and sold books to many prominent 20th century book collectors
• 3pm: Student Paper: Legacies of Artistic Experimentation and Social Change from the San Francisco Art Institute Archives with David Senior (Director of Library, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art) and Becky Alexander (Librarian and Archivist, SFAI Legacy Foundation)
• 4.30pm: Data-Graphic Masterpieces with data storyteller RJ Andrews using rare charts and maps from his Andrews Collection of Information Graphics from Enlightenment experiments to monumental statistical atlases